Archive for March, 2012

When I first took an interest in Parisian pastry, I kept coming across those same names (Ladurée, Stohrer, Blé Sucré). It seemed odd. In a city renowned for its work in pastry, and jammed with countless world-class chefs of every stripe. There had to be more than five patisseries worth visiting. What conventional wisdom and […]

The winner of French “Top Chef” TV show in 2010, Romain Tischenko is at the helm at Le Galopin. On a recent visit, the room was buzzing. The space is minimally decorated, with yellow walls, simple wood tables and floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping around the corner of the bistro. There’s also a room downstairs; when we were there, […]

Now that a company website is de rigueur for a fashion business, everyone has one—and sometimes designers wonder if anyone is reading their around-the-studio posts. Nathalie Seaver, a half-French fashion designer who owns an eponymous boutique for ready-to-wear and gifts in Los Angeles, found out last week just how powerful such a platform can be. […]

Between numbers 1 and 3 of the Rue Chapon in the 3rd arrondissement stands a door numbered 1 Bis. It looks much like any other door in the street, but there is one major difference - behind this door there is only a wall. The door and associated decoration is in fact a creation by artists Julien Berthier and Simon […]

Tomorrow (Sunday March 25) there is a sale of super-cheap books to benefit S.O.S. Helpline. Paperbacks – €1, hardcovers – €2. You can’t beat that! If you’re a bookworm or have just been looking for something new to read in the park during the intoxicating French spring that has been budding of late, this event’s for […]

It happens unfortunately rather often these days, a lone gunman goes postal, sending a battery of bullets into a crowd full of innocent people. It’s horrible; a dreaded disbelief grips me when I hear this kind of news. There’s an extra groan when it happens at a school or involves small children. Then there’s proximity, when it’s […]

Le Ballroom du Beef Club, the latest venture from the guys arguably responsible for the revolution in the Paris cocktail scene, opened this week in the capital. Combining a street level restaurant and a basement cocktail bar and club, this is the fifth address in Paris for the trio who are behind Experimental Cocktail Club, […]

Pappopaulin is the DIY Alibaba cavern! I stumbled upon it one day while wandering the 2nd where the wholesale garment district is, looking for a place to find ribbon in bulk. And boy did I find it! They have ribbons of every color, quality and width, in addition to the thousands of other items. I […]

If you’re on Facebook, you might like to “Like” La Vache qui rit [Laughing Cow], the Elsie the Cow of France. She’s running for President! The site is full of jokes and puns and is really pretty adorable. I can’t vote in France, but I’d certainly be vachement more tempted to veauter for her than for the real candidates!